A review of medical literature has revealed that electronic detection of adverse drug events may not be reliable, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.
The researchers analyzed 48 studies that assessed electronic ADE detection. They found only nine studies used a proper "gold standard" chart review in all patients. In addition, rule accuracy (details including type, accuracy and rationale used to characterize an ADE) was unreliable. The researchers concluded several factors contributed to inaccurate detection of ADEs, including "immature" information systems, non-standard event definitions and inconsistent methods for detection rule validation.
The researchers analyzed 48 studies that assessed electronic ADE detection. They found only nine studies used a proper "gold standard" chart review in all patients. In addition, rule accuracy (details including type, accuracy and rationale used to characterize an ADE) was unreliable. The researchers concluded several factors contributed to inaccurate detection of ADEs, including "immature" information systems, non-standard event definitions and inconsistent methods for detection rule validation.
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